Primary Perspective on Mary Margret McBride
My previous EOTO post on Mary Margret Mcbride was just a basic google search with minimal research which is very helpful in gathering background information but we need to look into her life a little deeper.
How do we do that? By looking at primary sources. Primary sources are first hand accounts in that person's life that allow you to get a better understanding of who that person was. They can be anything from diary entries to anything else that was created during their time.
What partially made McBride so successful in her career was her personality. Her writing was based on an optimistic perspective and "home and hearth" (Merrick p. 77). McBride was the type of person who was very modest. In an interview when she was asked why her listeners respect her she simply answered with “I hate to say it, but I’m afraid the truth is that I’m not a good enough actress to fake anything. When I sound dumb, it’s becasue I am dumb…” (St John p. 33).
This one statement from McBride shows you the type of person she is. I believe that listeners loved her so much because she was human. She was real. All of her emotions actually came from her and were not staged in any way. True reporters are successful when they truly care about what they are reporting on.
But she was very selective when she chose who she wanted to interview. One important thing to note is that her programs were interview based, however she was listed in brochures as a “chatter program.” Being in a masculine heavy career her broadcast was often overlooked and not taken as seriously. But when people did listen they were enrapped and hung onto every word McBride spoke. If you do not believe me then look at this quote spoken from Ben Gross of the New York Daily News:
“Ben Gross, of the New York Daily News, referred to McBride as ‘one of the marvels of radio’ because she, “day after day, year in and year out holds the mike for the better part of half or three-quarters of an hour, and does without script.’ Gross then added, ‘some radio folks boast if, on rare occasions, they are able to negotiate a few ad lib remarks; but here’s a young women who has ad-libbed her way through all her years of broadcasting’” (St John p.35)
Ultimately, McBride’s personality was that of a close friend. She was often described as being “chatty” and “gushy” or as she liked to say she hosted“conversational love affairs” (Klein p.1294).
Her free flowing conversations that bounced between useful information and small talk allowed listeners to not only get something out of the conversation but also kept them entertained while learning.
This type of show helped change gender roles by helping reinforce a different way to speak to women. It showed that women can not only be conversational but also be talking about actual important information while having casual conversation.
McBride was not only revolutionary in the radio industry but also impactful in gender roles in her time. She targeted women listeners while still being entertaining to the male listener. She allowed women to be part of the conversation and gave them the opportunity to be slightly more equal. While this may seem very miniscule, McBride was just one of the many who helped women get a voice in journalism.
Works Cited: (in APA style)
Klein, E. (2007). Whispering in a Million Ears: Remembering the Intimate Power of Radio. American Quarterly,59 (4), 1291-1301. Retrieved April 1, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/40068493
Merrick, B. (1999). From Ghosting to Free-Lancing: Mary Margaret McBride Covers Royalty and Radio Rex for the "Saturday Evening Post, Woman's Home Companion", and "Cosmopolitan" (1925—1935). American Periodicals,9, 74-96. Retrieved April 1, 2021, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/20771131
St John, J. (1978). Sex Role Stereotyping in Early Broadcast History: The Career of Mary Margaret McBride. Frontiers: A Journal of Women Studies,3(3), 31-38. doi:10.2307/3346326
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